Gratitude is the New Black

Gratitude is the new black. It goes with everything. Which is good to know during the holidays. You can wear it with everything. It rocks every outfit- physical, mental, emotional. 

Wearing the color of the season, here is my offering to the table of thanksgiving rampages:

I am grateful for gratitude. I am grateful that I feel gratitude for every single thing in my life. 

All of the things that worked out like I wanted them to. All the things that didn't work out. And the things I kept trying to work out that never came to pass. All were pointers that kept me out of my ego and on my path. All showed me who I really am and what I'm really doing here- and gave me the option to see or not to see.

All the heartbreak and the love, for they both taught me what love really is and that it had very little to do with what my pictures of love were. Together they helped me see, feel, know, a bigger picture.

For all my choices, dumb and smart, for they were the best I could do in the moment, and I know that. 

For all of the people who call me "teacher." Know that you teach me every day. Thanks for going on this wild ride with me, for trusting the Whole, for your fearlessness, willingness, tears, and laughter.

For those that I call "teacher." Those that taught me that it's never outside of myself, to stop judging, to love myself, to stop judging, to be aware of the obvious, to stop judging, that it's all God, and to stop judging. For teaching me that the information is in the space. Teaching me the value of rest, relaxation, and reflection. For teaching me that life is a research project and we are scientist, lab, and experiment. For reminding me that the answers I seek are within.

So I let go of judgment on the word "gratitude," and let myself feel the Wholeness." I have Everything to be thankful for. And I am Giving Thanks to All.

Thank You. All. Of. It.

#gratitudeforall

#enoughtogoaround

#Thanksgiving

#youarewhatyoueatsoeatlove

#gratitudeisthenewblack

Gratitude is the new black. It goes with everything.

Date night!

Medidate. Make a date with your body, mind, and soul. Get to know each other. The ultimate threesome.

#hurtssogood

#meditatingcanbefun

#dressingupformySelf

#datenighteverynight

Yoga Snuggle

Following up from yesterday's blog. Yoga nidra. Surrender all physical, mental, emotional weight and snuggle with the Divine.

Just sayin

#yogawverydamnday

#yoganidra

#takeanapwithgod

#rodstryker

#richardmiller

#transformationalflowfirsttuesdays

The Art of Snuggling

My dog Winston has snuggling down to an art. What are the secrets to mastering this ancient and profound state of being?

1) Total and complete surrender of weight. He allows himself to completely sink in to the surface area of his snuggle, ie me, and merge with it by releasing all tension, all weight. He doesn't try to make himself lighter, worry about his alignment, or worry about anything for that matter. 

2) He gives his weight and mind completely to the object of his snuggle and the present moment. In the moment of total snuggle-ness, time goes away, and there is no need or desire to do or be anywhere else.    

We can take a lesson from this. This surrender if weight is found in the yoga sutras of Patanjali. Patanjali talks about "ishwara pranidhana" or complete and total surrender to/with the Divine as a way to reach the state of samadhi, or becoming one with your "dhi," your highest state of knowingness. This implies a relationship with an object (the divine, aka your big S self), where you completely surrender your weight (all your crap), you are free of tension and in the present moment with no desire to be it do anything else. 

So find your dog, or another snuggling guru, whoever has mastered this art, and take a lesson. Then take what you learn and snuggle up to the divine.  Completely surrender your weight, release tension, and enjoy the sweet state of the divine snuggle with the Infinite.

#extremesnuggling

#ishwarapranidhana

#mydogasguru

Veterans Day

I'm grateful to the veterans who fought battles I didn't have to fight. Got their hands dirty, so I could get mine dirty in a different way. Thanks for doing the work I wasn't cut out for this time around. My trust is that my path has supported and freed you as well. 

I'm also grateful to the veterans for the little things like Veterans Day, because today is less traffic just when I needed it a little more space and ease. Not to mention the day off from street sweeping.

#weloveourvets

Do Less. Relax More.

Yes. I'm back on that train again. If you want to work hard, work hard at doing less and relaxing more without guilt or fear.

From a physiology point of view, in order for us to digest, assimilate and absorb nutrients, the more relaxed we are, the more we can get that job done. If we want to experience a state of steadiness, stability, and the joy that comes from a place where fear isn't driving the bus of you, start by digesting our physical food as optimally as possible. If we can at least wrap our brain around the benefits of relaxing in that capacity, it might make a nice bridge to embracing the benefits and by products that come with living from a relaxed point of view.

When we are relaxed, we are more apt to see a bigger picture. We are more apt to make a clearer decision. We are more in tune with "the right amount for me." We are more able to hear and respond to our inner Voice of Truth. And there is no guilt or fear in that Voice. Just our Truth.

So if we are "relaxing" and feeling guilty, are we really relaxing? It could take some practice, but the benefits are well worth the "effort" to learn effortlessness.

Yep. It's a can of worms. And it's open.
Enjoy your lunch.

#wormsforlunch
#artofdoingnothing
#relaxdammit
#improvedigestion

Day of the Dead

Coming off the heels of Halloween, we celebrate the day of the dead. In my view, this is the perfect kickoff to the holiday season. What are we celebrating? House cleaning! As we ride the energy of the demons and the dead, then proceed to surround ourselves with thanksgiving, sugar plums, and #108whateverthehellyouwant , we have the perfect recipie to clean our house of those houseguests in our mind that have started to stink. 

As those ghosts of the past, those old patterns that lead us into tizzies of confusion, doubt, fear, self hate, rear their ugly heads, at the very least - remember who you really are! Remember who the fuck you really are! Just do it! Remember now! And don't stop remembering until you are. 

#happyholidays

#108daysoflettinggo

#108daysofchoosingyourSelf

#108daysofRemembrance

The new black

Grey. The new black. Red. The new black. Orange. The new pink. Me. The new you. You. The new me.